7 Tips to Kick Start Your Fat Loss for Spring

Below you will find a list of 7 tips to kick start your fat loss. Add a few of these to your training plan, or start a new plan with these tips. Better yet, mix up the entire list and keep your body guessing. That is how you will see a difference.Let this Spring be the season that you ditch all of those Winter habits, and get ready to show off that buff body come Summer!

1.  Add interval training to your cardio plan. Forget long, dragged out, boring cardio. Studies have shown time and time again that the best method of fat loss is something referred to as EPOC (exercise post oxygen consumption). In layman’s terms, that means you burn calories long after you have stopped working out when using interval style cardio. Interval training is done in a short period of time, using high intense bursts. If you are a walker, walk for 1 minute, run for 30 seconds. Repeat this 8 times. If you are a jogger, jog for 1 minute, sprint for 30 seconds. Repeat 8 times. Cycling, same thing, eliptical…you can either kick up the speed, or kick up the incline. 
Point is this, intensity at the highest level for a short duration, then back to a moderate pace.

2.  If weight training, add heavier weights. Bigger muscles burn more calories. Stop going for 15 reps. Go for 6-8 reps, 4 sets. Rest around a minute between sets. Add one of these workouts in weekly. Make sure you have a good day or two of recovery when using a heavier load.

3.  In between heavy days when lifting weights, go for less rest. Keeping the heart rate elevated the entire time will burn more fat. Set a timer, go for high reps with a faster pace, rest for 30 seconds. Use lighter weights that are light enought to maintain speed and pace, but not so light that you don’t feel taxed at the end. This is a mega cardio and heart rate raiser!! Taking a long rest between is great when lifting heavy, but not necessary when going for speed, or numbers. Use this type of workout a few times weekly.

4. Eat your carbs earlier in the day. Keep the body fueled all day long, but taper off carbs as the day goes on. Carbs are a quick source of energy before and a good source to refuel after workouts. They are not needed in any form except veggies later in the day. 

5.  Make sure you are extra hydrated. People think they drink a lot of water. If you are not sure how much water you drink, try one of these tips to gauge if you are getting enough. Either put 8 bottled waters in the fridge every am. Finish them all by bedtime. Or, fill a half gallon jug of water. Finish by bedtime. If you are a heavy trainer, meaning heavy sweater, drink more. Water is good for every system, and even a small percentage of a loss can compromise everything in your health from internal organs, to fat loss, to endurance.

6. Add plyometrics. This type of explosive exercise depends on the biggest muscles. This type of exercise can only be done 1-2 times weekly due to the demand it places on the body, and the need for recovery. Box jumps, jump squats, split legged jump squats, explosive push-ups with claps, medicine ball slams, frog hops. All of these will tax the entire body, from the muscles to the lungs. Pick 5 exercises, go for 10 reps with 30-45 seconds of rest. Repeat 5 times. Mega fat blaster!

7.  Add fiber to your diet. Fiber is nutrient dense. Fiber fills you up. Fiber flushes out what the body doesn’t need. Fiber is a fat loss friend. Ground flax, ground chia seeds, avocados, artichokes, raspberries and high fiber kashi cereals are great sources no diet should be without.

I could go on, and on with tips on how to look and feel your best. I will keep sharing  information so that we all may achieve optimal health and wellness. The sunshine and time change make everything seem new. Now is the time to get rid of the old habits. Kick start your fat loss now!

In health, fitness, and healthy aging,

Dawn